Suction-cleaner.



F. J. OUIST. sucnom' CLEANER.

. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 13.]9l6.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHED 1.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fiwcrzz ov Fri @1056.

citizen of the United States,

FRANK J'. QU'IST, OF WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DOMESTIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, OFWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

SUCTION-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Oct. 29, Mild.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. QUIsT, a residing at Worcester, in thecounty of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Suction-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a suction cleaner of that type having a brushin addition to the suction cleaning mechanism, and most of the featuresof the invention are especially adapted for that type used for cleaningcarpets, rugs, and the like, in which the suction producing device is ofthe mechanical type operated. by the wheels as the device travels overthe floor.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a more efficientcombination between the suction and the brushlcleanin'g means than hasbeen the case heretofore, whereby each will work with maximumefiiciency, and there Will be practically no diminution of, theefficiency of either in order to permit the other to work effectively;to

provide a construction which will be more sanitary than those that havebeen used because while operating any dust stirred up by the brush isimmedlately taken care of by the suction, and because when cleaning itall the parts with which the dust comes into contact will be at the top;also to provide means whereby the brush will be brought in close contactwith the nap of the carpet, and the suction means will at the same timebe so located as to draw the entire current of air through the carpetunder the slot in which the brush is located to provide effective meansfor operating the brush while the 'slot is in contact with the carpet toprovide the brush operating means in such arrangement and position thatit will not reduce the length of the slot, or project beyond the end ofit, whereby the effect of the suction will be distributed throughout themaximum width ofthe whole device, and to provide improvements in otherfeatures of construction and combinations of parts as will appear.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa side view of a carpet cleaner constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the endthereof with the end plate removed toshow the con- Fig. 3 is a horizontal l1ne 33 in Fig. 2;

F1g. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional View of the cleaner;

Fig. o is a side view showing how the cleaner 1s tipped up on end andopened for removal of the dust bag;

Fig. 6 1s a fragmentary plan of the dust bag frame";

Fig. '7 is a fra entary bottom plan View as lndlcated by t e arrow 7 inFig. 1; and

1g. 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 in Fi 7 As is well known,carpet cleaning devices sectional view on the carrying all of their ownpower and adapted to be pushed over the carpet to be cleaned are dividedinto two kinds, the brush type and the suction type. Each one of thesehas been developed to a high degree of eliiciency, but each one fails toperform some of the functions of the other. For this reason variousattempts have been made to combine them, but these combinations haveusually been made at the expense of one or the other of these devices.In some cases the suction cleaner is rendered only partially effectiveby the fact that a wide slot was thought necessary in order to allow thebrush to project through it, to perform its functions, and thisdifliculty has been increased by support- 1ng this slot above thesurface of the carpet to be cleaned, thus letting the air in at thesides of the slot and wasting a material percentage of the power in thisway. Where a narrow slotted suction device has been used the brush has,so far as I am aware, always been located separately from it, so thatthe two parts do not act together and the suction mechanism does nothelp to clean the brush, and furthermore dust pans had to be employed inaddition to the dust bag. This entailed another objection, namely, thatit was extremely diflicult to empty the dust pans without dislodgingsome dust from the slot or dust bag, and vice versa. There has also beena difliculty owing to the fact that the passage for the air from thewide slot terminated in an opening for the dust bag of practically thesame area as the slot, so that there was no change in the velocity ofthe air at this point. Therefore the dust had a tendency to remainsuspended in the air, and

permit the brush to retain its high state of efficiency and also causethe suction mechanism to operate at even a higher state of efficiencythan has been the case in the practical devices with which I amfamiliar.

Also by this invention, the narrow slot being used and the opening fromthe brush chamber into the dust bag being larger in area than the slot,the air has a chance to have its velocity reduced at this point, and thedust tends to settle back in the dust chamber even after momentarystopping of the device, instead of being deposited through the slot onthe floor.

A very important feature of this invention consists in the arrangementof the parts in i such a way that the narrow inlet opening restsdirectly on the surface of the carpet to be cleaned so that there is nospace each side underneath it for the outside air to enter, and all theair entering it must pass through the nap of the carpet being cleaned.By locating the brush so that it sweeps across this narrow opening theends of its bristles simply engage the top of the nap of the carpet andpick up the lint. The bristles also agitate the nap so as to loosen thedust, but the dust is mostly taken up by the suction and not by thebrush. The air current passing as it does directly through the brush,

constantly cleans it of lint and dust so that .it remains in acomparatively clean and sanitary condition instead of always ready toshed dust as in the usual types. Furthermore, by having a wide dust baginlet opening just at the back of the brush, dust and lint taken upare-thrown by it directly into this inlet opening and not deposited in?the passage in which the brush is located, so that the return of thedust and lint through the slot when stopping is greatly reduced. Thebrush is considerably wider than the inlet slot, and cannot be taken outthrough it in the usual way. In this way a concentrated air currentpasses directly through the brush and through the bristles that are inthe act of picking up lint, instead of merely passing over the edge ofthe slot and away from the brush.

Another feature of the invention consists in the lengthening of the slotout beyond the mechanism which operates the brush so as to get theefiect of the suction throughout the width of the Whole mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the invention I is shown as applied to afloor type of cleaner,

and as comprlsing a casing 10 operated by a handle 11 in the usual way.The rear of this casing is supported by wheels 12 on a crank shaft 13journaled in the casing, which shaft as usual operates the suctionproducing devices 14, preferably located in the top of the casing. I donot claim herein any novelty for the suction producing device.

- This holds In the casing is located a. dust box 15 through which airis drawn by the suction 'of wire fixed to the frame 16. This wire frameconsists of two U-shaped members at the ends connected by a longitudinalwire 19 extending the length thereof at the rear. the dust bagdistended, and keeps it in the same form at all times independently ofthe suction.

The inlet end of the dust box 15 is covered by a hollow member 20. Thisis of a boxlike construction, and is hinged by pivot pins 21 on brackets22 to a forwardly projecting portion of the casing 10. This member 20therefore can be moved from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shownin Fig. 5, for the removal of the dust bag which is shown partiallyremoved in the latter figure. Fastening means 23 and 24 are shown forholding it in the position indicated in Fig. 1.

The operative face, that is usually the bottom of this member 20, isshown as covered by a sheet metal plate 25 which has an outwardly ordownwardly projecting central portion provided with a narrow centralslot 26 extending across it, for a purpose which will be referred tolater. This slot extends all the way through the sheet metal memberthroughout the central portion thereof, but on the ends of the sheetmetal member is concaved inwardly at 27 so as to provide a continuationof the slot beyond the perforation itself.

I have shown a brush mechanism in this member which, in itself, isarranged similarly to that shown in the application filed jointly bymyself and Anders Anderson, Serial No. 81,624, and it will not benecessary to describe the same in detail. It will be sufficient to saythat the brush 30 is located in this member in such a position as tojust project into the slot 26 so as to agitate the nap'of a carpet onwhich this plate 25 rests. Shafts 31 are shown at the ends for operatingthis brush and rolls 32 for rotating them. These rolls are shown assupported in this case substantially in the same manner as indicated inthe Quist &

Anderson case mentioned, the provision for In this dust box is located adust roller 38 down against the floor. A sprin ers 38 in contact withthe rolls 32 with yielding pressure. The remainder of the connectionsfor carrying the roller 38 are shown substantially the same as in theQuist and Anderson case above mentioned, and do not constitute a part ofthis invention.

- It is to be noted that the plate projects out beyond each side of thecasing to furnish a bottom for the space receiving the rolls 32 and 38and their supporting mechanism, and the. front board of the member 20also projects out the same distance. plates are fixed over the endsofthe same so asto cover the spaces for these parts and protect them.These cover plates are supported entirely by the member 20 and move,with the same as do the rollers 38.

The springs 36 are not strong enough to hold the casing up off thefloor. Therefore the plate 25 rests directly on the surface to becleaned, and at all times the rollers 38 are pressed against thissurface with a sufficient force to cause them to rotate as the machineis passed over the floor, and to transmit that rotation to the brush. Inthis way the brush acts on the carpet to pick up the lint but it doesnot actually plck up a great part of the dust for the suction device isdepended on to take all the dust that is dislodgedwithin the narrow slot26, and deposit it in the dust bag. It will be noted that the aircurrent constantly tends to draw the dust directly through the brushinto the dust bag and holdit at the rear end of the latter. Moreover,the brush rotates 1n such direction as to throw lint directly back intothe dust bag so that there is no danger of the lint taken up by thebrush being deposited back on the carpet either whilesweeping or whileresting or while emptying the dust from the dust bag. It is to be notedthat the latter operation is performed by turning the-sweeper up on endand sw1ng-' ing the member 20 back on 1ts pivots until it rests againstthe convex surface of the casing which constitutes a stop. In theposition shown in Fig. 5 there is no part of the mechanism which canreceive dust that is so located as to be able to drop the dust backon'the carpet. All the surfaces with which the dust has been able tocome into contact are then located at the top so that the dust cannotfall from them back on the carpet. Any dust that may lodge near the slotwill fall back into a corner or pocket 49.

I have found an extremely efficient form of cleaner to be the result ofthe peculiar cooperation of the brush and suction parts of the device,as explained above.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the inventionI am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in, the art with- Cover out departing from the scope ofthe invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction. herein shown and described,but what I'do claim is 1. In a suction cleaner, the combination of ahollow member-having an inlet slot through the bottom surface thereof,the outer surface of which is adapted to come into direct contact withand rest upon the surface to be cleaned, a rotary brush located in saidhollow member above the slot movable up and down therein and materiallywider than the slot, wheels for driving the brush movable up and downtherewith, and yielding means for holding said brush down so as toproject into but not through the slot whereby it will engage the napof acarpet over which the cleaner is operated but w1ll not press against thewarp and weft thereof, said yielding means also holding the Wheels downin contact with the surface to be cleaned.

2. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing, a hollow memberprovided with an inlet slot and supporting one end of the cas ing, arotary brush located in said hollow member over the slot, means forrotating the brush comprising a on the casing and springs having one endconnected with the casing and the other end holding sald brush down andthe rollers in pair of rollers movable contact with the surface beingcleaned, said other end of said springs pressing t-he'rollers down topermit the surface containing the slot to rest on the surface beingcleaned with less than the pressure due to the weight of the parts.

3. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing provided with awide inlet opening, a hollow member located outside the casingsupporting it, covering said opening and provided with an inlet slot andwith an unobstructed free passage therefrom to said inlet opening, arotary brush located within said hollow member over the slot, shafts forsupporting the ends' of said brush, means for carrying said shaftsmounted to move up and down relatively to the casing, rollers on saidshaft carrying means for rotating the brush, and means for yieldinglyforcing said carrying means down so as to bring the rollers into contactwith the surface being cleaned, said yielding means being incapable oflifting the slot off such surface but reducing the pressure with whichit would rest thereon.

4:. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing, a hollow memberremovably connected with, and supporting one end of the casing, andprovided with an inlet slot, a rotary brush located in said hollowmember in position for the ends of its bristles to project into theslot, rollers for operating said brush located adjacent thereto "andmovably mounted in position to engage the surface ing at being cleaned,and yielding means connected with the casing and with the rollers forforcing the rollers into contact with the surface being cleaned to causethe rollers to be rotated, but allowing said hollow member normally torest on said surface and partially support that end of the casing.

5. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing having asubstantially horizontal dust box provided with a wide inlet opening atits end, a member covering said opening and provided with a brush and anair inlet slot, means carried by said member for operating the brush,said member being pivoted to the casing at a point near the top and atthe end thereof whereby the casing can be turned up on its other end,and said member turned back to expose the mouth of the dust box at thetop, and at the same time leave said member in a position with thesurface thereof which engages the end of the dust box at the top.

6. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a casing with a pivotedhollow member for closing the end thereof having a wide openits endtoward the casing and a narrow inlet slot in a wall substantially atright an les to the plane of said wide opening,

o u I u said member being pivoted tothe casing at a point at the top ofone end thereof, and

the member and easing being shaped at their outer surfaces so as toprovide a stop whereby when the casing is turned up'on itsother end andthe member swung back on its pivots said wide opening will be located attop.

the

the top, said narrow slot being located at a.

distance from the inner wall of the casing whereby a pocket is formedfor the collection of dust when said member is thrown i back, the pocketbeing located below the slot in that position.

8. In a carpet cleaner, the combination of a casing and nozzle memberpivoted thereto, with a brush in the nozzle member, said nozzle memberhaving an opening large enough for the passage of the brush located inits wall adjacent to the casing and having an air inlet slot narrowerthan the brush, whereby said brush-is removable from the nozzle memberonly through the wall thereof which fits the end of the casing.

9. As an article of manufacture, a suction cleaner provided with anozzle plate having a slot extending therethrough throughout the centralportion of the length thereof, and concaved inwardly at the ends of saidslot to form unobstructed end continuations of substantially the samewidth as the slot.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK J. QUIST.

